The name of the first president of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, has a sacred, holy meaning for most of the country's residents. It is not surprising that the authorities' plans to demolish the Ataturk Cultural Center, located on Taksim Square, caused such a strong public reaction, and that it itself became a symbol of the protest movement. For almost the entire summer of 2013, things were restless here - one after another, rallies were held against the felling of trees in Taksim Gezi Park and the demolition of the Ataturk Center. As of today, the unrest has ceased, but the fate of both sites still remains in question.
The building of the Ataturk Cultural Center (or AKM for short - Atatürk Kültür Merkezi) was built in the middle of the 20th century. Today, AKM is a multipurpose and multifunctional center that includes a theater, a large concert hall, an exhibition hall, and a cinema hall. Official receptions, art festivals, congresses, and concerts are regularly held at the venues of this, without exaggeration, iconic place.
